Clamping-ring for pipe-couplings.



L. P. WHITAKER. CLAMPING RING FOR PIPE COUPLINGS.

APPLICATION FILED 1120.21, 1910.

Patentd May 16, 1911.-

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- WIT/v55 jNVE/VTOR B i 6Q Affomey L. P. WHITAKER. O AMPING RING FORPIPE COUPLINGS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 21, 1910.

Patented 113 111911. 1

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LOUIS P. WHITAKER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO S.R.

DRESSER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPO-RATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CLAMPING-RING FOR PIPE-COUPLINGS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1%, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs P. VVHITAKER', citizen of the United States,residing at lVashington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Clamping-Rings for Pipe-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention consists in the novel features hereinafterdescribed reference being had to the accompanying drawings which showseveral embodiments of the invention selected by me for purposes ofillustration.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 represents a form of blank which can beadvantageously employed in the manufacture of a ring embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 represents the blank bent into ring form and welded.Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a completed ring embodying my invention.Fig. 4 is a sectional View of a ring of slightly different crosssection, embodying my invention. Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are similar viewsof two part rings embodying my invention.

The object of my invention is to produce a ring of wrought metal(preferably steel) in which the yield point of the metal is raised abovethe normal yield point of the metal employed, whereby the ring willstand greater stress before bending or yielding than a ring of the samecross section in which the yield point has not been so raised, orwhereby a ring of less sectional area embodying my invention will standthe same or greater stress without bending than ring of greatersectional area in which the yield point has not been raised.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention embodied in aclamping ring for rubber packed pipe couplings of the type known in theart as the Dresser pipe coupling and illustrated for example in LettersPatent of the United States No. 884,371 dated April 14, 1908.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 I have shown one form of clamping ring which I haveselected for purposes of illustration. In these figures, Fig. 1 shows alongitudinal bar of inverted T-shape in cross section, which is formed(preferably by rolling) in any desired lengths, and from which a portionis cut off in any desired way, to form a blank from which the ring ismade, the bar being of such length as to make any desired number of suchblanks. The blank or bar is provided with a flat plate member indicatedat 1, and a longitudinally disposed flange member indicated at 2, anddisposed substantially perpendicularly to the plate member.

The bar or blank is bent into ring form at such a temperature that theyield point of the metal will be raised, and the ends are brought intoclose proximity for welding as shown in Fig. 2. It is known that above acertain temperature, which for convenience of reference is termed in theart the critical temperature, and which may be described with suflicientdefiniteness as a red heat visible in daylight, the molecules of steelremain equiaxed (or having all their axes equal) during changes of form.If, however, the metal is operated upon below the critical temperaturethe grain of the metal is distorted, the molecules become inequiaxed,and the yield point of the metal is raised very considerably abovenormal, thereby increasing the stiifness of the metal.

In Fig. 2 the blank is shown with its ends cut off squarely to form abutt weld but the bar or blank may be so formed as to make a lap weld orother form of weld if desired. The welding operation is preferablyperformed by electricity in a well known way so that only a small partof the bar at each side of the weld is raised above the criticaltemperature as indicated by the dotted lines 33 in Fig. 2. The weldingmaybe performed in other Ways, however, as by heating the meeting endsonly of the blank in a gas furnace, taking care to raise as small aportion on each side of the weld above the critical temperature aspossible.

As the efiect of raising any portions of the metal adjacent to the weldabove the critical temperature is to cause them to return to the normalor annealed condition, and restore the yield point of such annealedportions to normal the parts of the ring so raised above the criticaltemperature in welding are thereafter treated or worked by hammering orrolling or other suitable treatment after they have cooled below thecritical temperature. This working of the metal again raises the yieldpoint and makes the portions of the ring adjacent to the weldsubstantially as stiff as the other portions of the ring. The resultingring illustrated in Fig. 3 is then finished by perforating the outerportion of the plate member with bolt holes which are preferably punchedwhile the metal is below the critical temperature. As will be seen inFig. 3, the ring is provided with an annular plate member 1 an annularflange member 2. The weld is represented at a and the portion betweenthe dotted lines 5, 6 represents the part which is reworked after thewelding operation. The bolt holes are indicated at 5, 5. This ring willbe found to have much greater stiffness than a ring of the same sectionformed by operations conducted while the metal is .above the criticaltemperature.

In Fig. 4t I have shown a clamping ring for pipe couplings having aslightly different cross section, embodying my invention, the parts ofthe ring being indicated by numerals corresponding to those in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a ring made in two separately formed parts, aplate member 10 and a flange or cup member 11, either or both of whichhave the yield point of the metal composing the same raised above thenormal. The plate member is preferably formed in the manner hereinbeforedescribed by bending a blank into ring form below the criticaltemperature, welding the ends as at a, and reworking below the criticaltemperature the portions indicated between dotted lines Z)-b, which wereheated above the critical temperature during the welding. The flange orcup member may be made in the same manner as shown (or it may be madefrom an annular flat blank and cupped or pressed into the shape shownwhile the metal is below the critical temperature.) In placing the twomembers together the welded portion of one may be placed out ofalinement with the other as indicated if desired. The plate member isprovided with boltholes 12, 12.

In some instances the members 10 and 11 may be permanently united as bymeans of rivets 15, 15, as indicated in Fig. 7, or in any other suitablemanner which will not lower the yield point.

Fig. 6 illustrates another two part ring in which the plate member 10 isformed as previously described with reference to Fig. 5 and the flangemember 11 is provided with an outwardly extending flange engaging theplate member instead of an inwardly extending flange.

Fig. 8 shows another form of two part ring comprising a plate member 1Ohaving an outwardly extending flange provided with bolt holes 12, and aninwardly extending flange to engage the cup or flange member 11*, thetwo flanges of the plate member being connected by an annular portiondisposed parallel to the axis of the ring. The cup or flange member 11'is similar to the cup or flange member 11 previously described. Each ofthe parts 10 and 11 are preferably formed by bending, welding andreworking the parts adjacent to the weld, as hereinbefore described, butthey may be made by pressing annular blanks of sheet metal at atemperature below the critical temperature, if desired.

While I have describedand illustrated my preferred method of forming thering, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the ring maybe made by other methods, as by forming, forging or die pressing operations performed upon the metal below the critical temperature.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A clampingring for pipe couplings, formed of wrought metal, and provided with apacking engaging portion and with a plate member having bolt holestherein, portions of the metal of said ring having its yield pointraised.

2. A clamping ring for pipe couplings formed of wrought metal andprovided with a plate member disposed substantially perpendicularly tothe axis of the ring, and a flange member disposed substantiallyperpendicularly to the plate member and located between the inner andouter edges of the plate member, the metal of the plate member havingits yield point raised.

3. A clamping ring for pipe couplings formed of wrought metal andprovided with a plate member disposed substantially perpendicularly tothe axis of the ring, and a flange member disposed substantiallyperpendicularly to .the plate member and located between the inner andouter edges of the plate member, the metal forming the said flange andplate members having the yield point thereof raised.

at. The herein described clamping ring for pipe couplings formed ofwrought metal and provided with a plate member disposed substantiallyperpendicularly to the axis of the ring, and a flange member disposedsubstantially perpendicularly to the plate member and located betweenthe inner and outer edges of the plate member, the said plate and flangemembers being united, and the metal forming said members having theyield point thereof raised.

5. The herein described clamping ring for pipe couplings, formed from asingle piece of wrought metal bent into ring form .and having its endswelded together, said ring having a plate portion disposedperpendicularly to the axis of the ring, and an annular flange memberprojecting from one face of the plate member, between the inner andouter edges of the plate member, the

metal of said ring throughout its entire extent having the yield pointthereof raised.

6. The herein described clamping ring for pipe couplings, formed from asingle piece of wrought metal bent into ring form and having its endswelded together, said ring having a plate portion disposedperpendicularly to the axis of the ring and an annular flange memberprojecting from one face of the plate member between the inner and outeredges of the plate member, the

metal of said ring having its molecular structure distorted so as tobring the molecules thereof into an inequiaxed condition and therebyraising the yield point of the rln fn testimony whereof I affix mysignature, in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS P. WHITAKER. Witnesses:

J. K. MOORE, RoBT. E. QARRY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

